Decrease in volume and density of foraminiferal shells with progressing ocean acidification.

Rapid increases in anthropogenic atmospheric CO partial pressure have led to a decrease in the pH of seawater. Calcifying organisms generally respond negatively to ocean acidification. Foraminifera are one of the major carbonate producers in the ocean; however, whether calcification reduction by ocean acidification affects either foraminiferal shell volume or density, or both, has yet to be investigated.

Lunar cycles and rainy seasons drive growth and reproduction in nummulitid foraminifera, important producers of carbonate buildups.

Representatives of the foraminifer Nummulites are important in Earth history for timing Cenozoic shallow-water carbonates. Taphonomic complexity explains the construction of carbonate buildups, but reproduction and life span of the constructing individuals are unknown. During the 15-month investigation period, asexually reproduced schizonts and gamonts showed equal proportions in the first half of this period, whereas gamonts predominated in the second half.

Growth estimation of the larger foraminifer by means of population dynamics.

In , the flagship species of laboratory investigations of larger benthic foraminifera (LBF) since the 70's, the timing of reproduction, longevity and natural chamber building rates are still understudied. A recently developed method, the natural laboratory (sensu Hohenegger), has been applied on populations from Sesoko Jima, NW Okinawa, Japan. An averaged chamber building rate and longevity of were calculated based on 17 monthly samplings at fixed stations.

Growth, chamber building rate and reproduction time of (Foraminifera) under natural conditions.

We investigated the symbiont-bearing benthic foraminifer to determine the chamber building rate (CBR), test diameter increase rate (DIR), reproduction time and longevity using the 'natural laboratory' approach. This is based on the decomposition of monthly obtained frequency distributions of chamber number and test diameter into normally distributed components. Test measurements were taken using MicroCT.

Early Cambrian pentamerous cubozoan embryos from South China.

Background: Extant cubozoans are voracious predators characterized by their square shape, four evenly spaced outstretched tentacles and well-developed eyes. A few cubozoan fossils are known from the Middle Cambrian Marjum Formation of Utah and the well-known Carboniferous Mazon Creek Formation of Illinois. Undisputed cubozoan fossils were previously unknown from the early Cambrian; by that time probably all representatives of the living marine phyla, especially those of basal animals, should have evolved.